2001 called; they want their joke back
Cidu Bill on Jun 1st 2010
I mean seriously… if you think of a gag 9 years too late, just move on and come up with something new.
Filed in B.C., Bill Bickel, Enron, comic strips, comics, humor, l'esprit d'escalier | 26 responses so far
Bill Hinds Jun 1st 2010 at 01:01 pm 1
I would like to point out that this gag was at least 2000 years early.
Bill Hinds Jun 1st 2010 at 01:05 pm 2
Instead of the turn signs, I would have liked to have seen the traffic light silhouette signs for “WALK” and “DON’T WALK.” The Enron sign would represent, “PERP WALK.”
James Schend Jun 1st 2010 at 01:09 pm 3
Until I read this on Comics Curmudgeon, I assumed it was the Dell logo. And was very, very confused.
If I were Dell, I’d sue.
Catlover Jun 1st 2010 at 03:59 pm 4
I wanted to submit this, but I fully U’d it; agree totally that “Enron” humor is like so-2001, but the economic downturn of the last few years would be identified with a completely different set of players. Asset-backed securities, bank and auto bailouts/nationalization … why not a logo of a nationalized automaker, or a brand that has gone goodbye like Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer or Oldsmobile?
Cidu Bill Jun 1st 2010 at 04:16 pm 5
Okay, I have what I think is the perfect tag for this sort of comic: L’esprit d’escalier, literally “staircase wit,” by which the French mean thinking of something clever just a bit too late for anybody to care. As in “you’re halfway down the staircase, on your way home, and you suddenly realize ‘oh, that’s what I should have said to him.’”
Quite appropriate that I thought of this four hours after I put this post online.
Judge Mental Jun 1st 2010 at 04:32 pm 6
Well, the Jerk Store called, and they’re running out of you
Cidu Bill Jun 1st 2010 at 04:38 pm 7
Umm… excuse me, Judge Mental??
Judge Mental Jun 1st 2010 at 04:40 pm 8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Comeback_%28Seinfeld%29
And now that I look at the wikipedia entry, they even cited the expression “Staircase wit”
Judge Mental Jun 1st 2010 at 04:51 pm 9
My original reply to Cidu Bill the comment is under moderation ( I think because my wikipedia link has parenthesis)
Less anyone think I targeted Bill (or anyone else) directly, will try to give the abridged explanation here:
My reply at #6 is a classic quote from Seinfeld. There is an episode where one of George’s co-workers mocks George as he is pigging out on shrimp cocktail (”Hey George, the ocean called; they’re running out of shrimp”) This infuriates George, and way after the fact, he decides the ultimate comeback is “The Jerk Store Called, they are running out of you” So convinced that this is the perfect comeback, George devises a plan to create a scenario where he can use this “witty retort”.
Jesse Jun 1st 2010 at 04:58 pm 10
Billy, the jerkstore line is a Seinfeld reference. George Costanza comes up with in it a “I should have said that” scenario
Jesse Jun 1st 2010 at 04:59 pm 11
and I meant Bill, not Billy, sorry.
furrykef Jun 1st 2010 at 05:03 pm 12
I actually prefer the German term “treppenwitz”, which has the same literal and figurative meaning as “l’espirit d’escalier”. It’s also a bit easier for us anglophones to pronounce.
Cidu Bill Jun 1st 2010 at 05:04 pm 13
Bill, I think we’re now supposed to assume that B.C. takes place in some post-Apocolyptic era rather than thousand of years before the birth of Jesus. Which kind of makes sense, given that the characters are prosthelytizing Christians (or at least they were when Johnny Hart was guiding them; they seem to have lapsed a bit).
Cidu Bill Jun 1st 2010 at 05:08 pm 14
I decided, when I first heard the term l’esprit d’escalier 40 years ago, that some day I’d use it as a tag online. Since my German was limited to a smattering of Yiddish, “treppenwitz” means nothing to me other than, perhaps, the surname of the von Trapps’ Polish cousins.
NoAlias Jun 1st 2010 at 05:15 pm 15
I’m so glad to learn there is a term for this. Stairway wit, l’espirit d’escalier, treppenwitz. I live my life with staircase wit. (in staircase wit? on staircase wit?)
Tim Jun 1st 2010 at 05:33 pm 16
@Catlover #4,
I think “Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal” or “Least I Could Do” would be more likely to make “Hummer” jokes.
… oh, you’re talking about cars. Never mind.
Jeff S. Jun 1st 2010 at 10:51 pm 17
I always buy Treppenwitz products when I’m in the grocery store’s ethnic aisle.
Winter Wallaby Jun 1st 2010 at 11:58 pm 18
Judge Mental #6: Thanks for the LOL!
Powers Jun 2nd 2010 at 06:43 am 19
I knew it had to be the Enron logo, but it’s not quite right (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enron ) and makes no sense considering it went bankrupt nine years ago.
Catlover Jun 2nd 2010 at 07:51 am 20
Treppenwitz gefilte fish is to die for! Their l’espirit d’escalier I can’t have, for obvious reasons … or was that l’esprit d’escargot? Nissan sold an S-Cargo. Saturday morning breakfast … mmmmm.
mitch4 Jun 2nd 2010 at 08:51 am 21
@Catlover — Yes, when Mr. Snail got a new car it was an S-car sports model, and he even had a big “S” painted on the side both to identify it as his and brag about its expense and speed. “When I go driving down the street,” he explained, “I want all the bystanders to exclaim: Look at that S-Car go!”.
mkilby Jun 2nd 2010 at 11:20 am 22
I know a mother of five who got one of those “soccer mom vehicles”, and then (no joke) started calling it “Vincent”, as in “Van Go(gh)”. Never mind that it doesn’t match the “real” pronunciation, everyone knew that it was a horrid pun, but that’s precisely why the name stuck so well.
Elyrest Jun 2nd 2010 at 11:22 am 23
mkilby - the first time I heard the “real’ pronunciation of Van Gogh I was in Europe and I thought someone was clearing their throat.
gramma(r) Jun 2nd 2010 at 12:30 pm 24
He could’ve just as easily used a Chevrolet or Chrysler logo pointing downward.
Matthew Jun 5th 2010 at 08:59 pm 25
Someone was, Elyrest. That’s how the Van Goghs got their name. They had been Bagicalupos, but Vincent’s father cleared his throat as the staff was making out the birth certificate.
ted Jun 8th 2010 at 12:58 pm 26
“E”conomic downturn — nothing to do with Enron. Not particularly funny, nonetheless.